California glam metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER have confirmed that they have commenced the recording process for their sixth studio album. The follow-up to 2019’s “Heavy Metal Rules” will tentatively arrive before the end of the year.
During an appearance on the latest episode of the “Lipps Service With Scott Lipps” podcast, STEEL PANTHER drummer Stix Zadinia said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We’re recording a new record right now. And we’re doing this one differently than we’ve ever done a record. Usually, for every record, we get together, we go into pre-production, we work it out. Satchel [guitar] will come in with the songs, then we’ll get together physically, work ’em out, go record ’em, and we’re all at the studio. And because of the way things are now, it’s forced us to sort of look at things through a different lens, and we’ve decided to try it this way… I’m tracking drums here [at home], I’m sending it to the guys, then there’s guitars laid over, and then vocals that are gonna be recorded. So it’s very separate. And then we’ll have somebody mix it. And that’ll be the record.”
Added Satchel: “It’s basically very similar to the way we’ve been doing records, except just a different order. I think every time you do a record, there’s so much that has to be put into writing a song, making a song good and listening to a song from start to finish and having it be exciting and not bore you — all the stuff that goes into that is before you ever start to record. And then recording these days, we’re all very lucky because you can get really great sounds in your home studio. The only thing that we’re probably gonna go, and need to go, into a really good studio for is the drums, ’cause that involves the room and other things. But you don’t necessarily have to do the drums first. If you’re playing to a click, and if you work out the parts that you want for a record, you can replace it with real drums later on in the process. And that’s just all we’re doing. We’re doing the guitars and the bass and the vocals first, and then we’ll probably end up going in somewhere and doing the drums afterwards and then mixing at the very end. Mixing is always the last part of the process anyways. Just a little bit different order this time, just because like a lot of bands, most of our money comes from touring, so we don’t have the money to go throw thousands of dollars to a recording studio right now.”
Last December, STEEL PANTHER released a re-worked version of its song “Fuck Everybody” from “Heavy Metal Rules”, now re-titled “Fuck 2020”. The newly recorded version included updated verses that reflect the insanity of last year.
“Heavy Metal Rules” was released in September 2019. The disc, which is described in a press release as a “heavy metal version of a self-help manual and ultimate party album combined,” was once again produced by Jay Ruston, who collaborated with the band on all of its previous recordings, including 2017’s “Lower The Bar”.
STEEL PANTHER specializes in imitating and exaggerating the less flattering aspects of 1980s hair metal, with unrepentantly crude, non-PC sexual content as a favorite lyrical theme.
The group’s music has been described as “VAN HALEN meets MÖTLEY CRÜE meets RATT meets ‘Wayne’s World’, complete with operatic shrieks, misogyny, shredding guitar solos and libidinal overdrive.”
Thirteen years ago, STEEL PANTHER changed its name from METAL SKOOL to its current moniker and shifted the focus of its act from ’80s metal covers to originals.
Photo by: David Jackson
